Sheikh Ahmad made clear his ambitions for the event in comments after Monday's ANOC Executive Council meeting, suggesting that it would be satisfactory for ANOC if its new project was ranked "lower" than the Big Two, but "higher than any international federation or continental games.

"Otherwise we are not satisfied," he concluded.

It is generally thought that the World Beach Games will take place for the first time in 2017.

Thailand has publicly expressed interest in hosting them, but the earliest point at which their exact timing and location is likely to become known is at the ANOC General Assembly in Washington D.C in late October.

Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah admitted it would be satisfactory for ANOC if the World Beach Games were ranked "lower" than the Big Two, but nothing less ©Getty Images

The Games were first announced as a collaboration between ANOC and SportAccord.

However, Sheikh Ahmad has now intriguingly floated the idea of having more than two partners.

"The shareholders will be more than this; more than two parties - wait and see," he said.

It has been announced, meanwhile, that future ANOC Executive Council meetings are to take place in Lausanne on June 8 and Washington on October 28.

The exact dates for the General Assembly and second ANOC Gala Awards Dinner are October 27-30.

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